Escobedo Reaches Final in Costa Mesa

17 year old Ernesto Escobedo had a big week at the Costa Mesa Futures in California, making it to the finals of an ITF Futures for the first time. Escobedo, a quarterfinalist at Kalamazoo this year, benefited from a retirement in the first round from 4 seed Daniel Garza. In the quarterfinals, Escobedo beat fellow teenager and USC recruit Connor Farren 7-6, 6-2. Escobedo beat 7th seeded Jeff Dadamo by the same score in the semifinals to reach his first ever final. However, he could not do the same in the final as he fell to former UCLA Bruin Haythem Abid 6-1, 4-6, 7-5. Abid had a great week, including a win over UCLA Bruin Marcos Giron, snapping Giron's singles winning streak of 8.

In the doubles, UCLA Bruins Giron and Mackenzie McDonald found their way through the doubles draw to win the title, defeating Keith-Patrick Crowley and Matt Fawcett 6-3, 6-2. Giron and McDonald took out the one seeds Daniel Garza and Carsten Ball in the quarterfinals.

How Juniors/College players faired in this tournament:
Spencer Papa (USA): 1st Round loss to Ziad Sultan 7-5, 6-4
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS): 1st Round loss to Jeff Dadamo 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
Ernesto Escobedo (USA): 1st Round win over Daniel Garza 2-1 Ret.
                                           2nd Round win over Alex Blumenberg 7-6, 6-4
                                           QF win over Connor Farren 7-6, 6-2
                                           SF win over Jeff Dadamo 7-6, 6-2
                                           Loss in the finals to Haythem Abid 6-1, 4-6, 7-5
                                           Doubles: Semifinals with Eduardo Nava
Connor Farren (USC Trojans): 1st Round win over Evan Song 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
                                                  2nd Round win over Dennis Novolo 6-7, 6-1, 7-6
                                                  QF Loss to Ernesto Escobedo 7-6, 6-2  
                                                  Doubles: Quaterfinals with Nick Meister
Alex Sarkissian (Pepperdine Waves): 1st Round win over Clay Thompson 6-2, 7-6
                                                             2nd Round win over Andre Dome 6-4, 7-5
                                                             QF loss to Haythem Abid 7-6, 6-2
Clay Thompson (UCLA Bruins): 1st Round loss to Alex Sarkissian 6-2, 7-6
                                                      Doubles: First round loss with Dennis Mkrtchian (UCLA Bruins) 
Yoshihito Nishoika (JPN): 1st Round loss to Eduardo Nava 7-6, 6-7, 6-2
Marcos Giron (UCLA Bruins): 1st Round win over Kyle Dandan 6-2, 6-4
                                                   2nd Round win over Eduardo Nava 6-2, 6-2
                                                   QF win over Noah Rubin 6-2, 6-2
                                                   SF loss to Haythem Abid 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
                                                   Doubles: Champion with Mackenzie McDonald
Mackenzie McDonald (UCLA Bruins): 1st Round loss to Deighton Baughman 7-6, 6-0
                                                                Doubles: Champion with Marcos Giron
Deighton Baughman (USA): 1st Round win over Mackenzie McDonald 7-6, 6-0
                                               2nd Round loss to Noah Rubin 4-6, 6-2, 7-6
                                               Doubles: Semifinals with Joseph DiGuilio (UCLA Bruins)
Noah Rubin (USA): 1st Round win over Daniel Nguyen 6-1, 6-0
                                 2nd Round win over Deighton Baughman 4-6, 6-2, 7-6
                                 3rd Round loss to Marcos Giron 6-2, 6-2